How to pronounce umlaut
Say it like UUM-lowt. Umlaut has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (UUM).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce umlaut. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- UUM
- lowt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Umlaut pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- UUMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "oo" in book.
- lowtKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ow" in now.
American vs British pronunciation of umlaut
American and British speakers say umlaut in essentially the same way: /ˈʊmlaʊt/ in the US and /ˈʊmlaʊt/ in the UK.
British respelling: UUM-lowt.
What does umlaut mean?
- An assimilatory process whereby a vowel is pronounced more like a following vocoid that is separated by one or more consonants.
- The umlaut process (as above) that occurred historically in Germanic languages whereby back vowels became front vowels when followed by syllable containing a front vocoid (e.g. Germanic lūsiz > Old English lȳs(i) > Modern English lice).
- A vowel so assimilated.
- To place an umlaut over (a vowel).
- To modify (a word) so that an umlaut is required in it.“an umlauting vowel”
Where does umlaut come from?
Borrowed from German Umlaut in the 19ᵗʰ century, from um- or um (“around, re-, trans-”) + Laut (“sound”), from Old High German hlūt.
Questions about saying umlaut
How do you pronounce umlaut?
Say UUM-lowt. The American pronunciation is /ˈʊmlaʊt/. In British English it is /ˈʊmlaʊt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in umlaut?
Umlaut has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (UUM). Broken into parts: UUM · lowt.
Do Americans and Brits say umlaut the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈʊmlaʊt/ and the British form is /ˈʊmlaʊt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.